Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi

More than a thousand years ago...

...there was a formal government organization in the city of Kyoto...

...called the Ministry of Onmyou Affairs.

The technical employees who served there were called Onmyou mystics.

From a modern perspective, the shady incantations, the spells...

...and the telling of fortunes...

...may be considered to be meaningless rituals based in superstition.

However, back then, for those who had aspirations in science...

...it was the focal point of the newest technology...

...from both inside and outside Japan.

It was also the one and only research institution that sought to thoroughly study...

...the basic sciences such as astronomy, geography, and meteorology.

See? There's nothing.

Nothing. It's the pits.

They said the construction people took it clean away.

Ain't it just empty?

I can't take it.

That was the crystallization of my six years in grade school.

What's a guy who doesn't even play baseball doing just collecting the cards?

Things like the fruits of a geek's labor will be forever beyond me.

It's not just the baseball cards.

There are the vending machine toys...

...and the "Japan's Rare Animal Series"...

...that I went completely into debt to collect.

All of it!

Gimme back my Iriomote cat!

Sasshi, you just moved into a brand new condo last month.

Didn't you take it all with you over there?

At the new place, I've been prohibited from bringing any of my geeky fruits of labor.

Cuz it's mega small.

And I hadn't heard anything about the house being torn down while I was away at camp.

It's the pits.

All I can do now is go home, eat a yam, fart and go to sleep.

I can understand that it's a shock...

...but no matter what, being human, having your health is what's most important.

Well, see ya later.

Ya know...

...there's one other mega shocking thing that got decided while you were away at camp.

I see. So, it's finally been decided. Finally?

You're talking about this condo getting torn down, too, right?

Yup, yup, and it was only just built too!

Hey, what the heck?!

Our shop, Grill Pelican, is moving out too.

But the Pelican is still gonna stay put for a long time to come!

Masa-jii said so!

That's what Masa-jii's been saying, but...

Uh-huh.

Dad's been offered a job at a hotel restaurant.

Uh-huh.

You know how dad trained to cook in France.

He's saying he wants to work some place with proper facilities.

Uh-huh.

It's been decided.

Uh-huh.

Well, congratulations for that.

So, you're gonna be moving away.

Yeah.

Say, what about school? You transferring?

Weren't you gonna go home, fart and go to sleep?

How the heck am I supposed to fart after hearing what you told me?

Things that come out and things that swell happen when they happen.

Well, don't worry.

I'll be attending the school here for a bit of the second semester.

So, where're you moving to?

Lake Akan.

Lake Akan?

Lake Akan Tourist Hotel in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido?

The Hokkaido where the salmon spawn and return?

We're supposed to go there by boat.

It's mega far.

But they've got Hokkaido foxes and marimo moss.

You can live anywhere.

Being human, having your health is what's most important.

I'm home!

Bon jour.

Welcome back.

Sasshi, set the lit sign outside for me.

I just got here and you're using me already?

Quit grumbling.

Kids should just shut up and help the adults with their business.

But I ain't your kid, Masa-jii.

Fool!

Anyone born around these parts, from the oldest one here...

...to Hiro-pon's grandkid Fumiya, are all kids of the shopping arcade!

You all grew up carrying the portable shrine at the Seimei Shrine every year!

Is that so?

Say Masa-jii...

...what are ya gonna do about carrying the portable shrine at the festival this year?

Doing, nothing.

I'll be doing what I do every year.

But you're gonna close down this shop and move overseas with everyone, right?

Everyone? What everyone?!

Don't you worry, I won't be shutting down the Pelican.

Non, non, non.

You're still saying that, Papa?!

Being stubborn like that isn't tres bien.

With all due respect, what in hell do you think one old man can do alone?!

That tres bien talk again?!

Papa, this le marché...

It's very, very sad that this market will disappear...

...but arguing against something that's been decided is Dadaism!

They're gonna tear down all the other houses...

...we can't be the only ones to stay standing about!

I need you to wise up already, you stubborn old man!

Like hell I'm gonna stand for your lectures with bad French mixed in!

All this time I ran this shop with your dead ma.

I ain't gonna let it close down while I'm still kicking!

And what the hell is with this redevelopment?!

These parts were finished developing fifty years ago!

Moron! What's finished is your brain, you dimwit!

What?! Dimwit?!

What's French about that?!

Let's hear ya say that again, you little...

I heard your grandma used to be just like Masa-jii.

Yeah, she was sitting at the front desk right up until the night before she went in her coffin.

Did ya know?

About how my grandpa had a crush on your grandma?

No way!

Well, it's back when they were kids, though.

Oh, you scared me there, 'cause I thought it was something recent.

It'd be just bad if she came back to haunt us over that.

But hadn't you ever heard anything from your grandma?

From my grandma?

This is just a woman's intuition, ya know?

But I think Masa-jii and your grandma are hiding something.

She didn't seem like she had anything to hide.

Oh, come to think of it, grandpa was always complaing about how...

...grandma had the hots for someone else before they got married.

Way I hear, some egghead who made this shopping arcade.

Made this place? You mean, like the person who designed it?

Maybe it was someone from a municipal office.

Back when she was in school, grandma made lunch everyday and visited him.

I wonder what kind of guy this egghead was?

An egghead who made this shopping arcade?

Never even heard of him.

Yeah? There's no way Masa-jii wouldn't know the guy...

...which means, they were serious romantic rivals and he's still bitter about it!

I guess my grandma was real popular.

Way I hear, she had big, honking boobs and a nice figure!

And creamy skin to boot!

Pervert.

You idiot!

Mercy!

You can't see this pelican sign from the street at all!

What's the point?

Man, my hat fell down there.

What the hell are you doing changing the subject?!

I'm done!

Sayaka, you're finished already?

I'm dieting right now.

Dieting?

Man, if they're gonna redevelop this place anyway...

...I wish they'd make it cool like Shibuya.

Moron! People couldn't live in a place like that!

I want a big supermarket.

There's the department store!

It costs way too much to shop at the department store.

I couldn't get by without the clearance sales at supermarkets.

Satoshi, did that Masa-bou say anything?

Masa-jii?

Well, he's the same as grandma.

He's saying he won't take down the store sign as long as he's kicking...

...even if they're the last store standing.

He's as kooky as ever. There's no point in holding out on your own.

Point?

Speaking of which, there's a turtle on top of the bathhouse, too.

There's a bird over at Arumi's.

Do those have any point to them?

There's no point to those signs if the customers can't see them.

Point, eh?

The Turtle Bath and Masa-bou's Pelican...

...are the linchpins of Abenobashi Shopping Arcade.

But with everyone cleared out of there now...

...I suppose it's just more odd talking about the point and the like.

How long're you gonna take to eat?

It definitely feels like there's something to it.

Why don't you just ask him straight up?

Oh...

Well, you know, I'm not sure if a kid should be asking about it.

There's just that feel to it.

Grandpa's being obstinate about staying behind by himself.

Masa-jii's staying behind?

Of course, we can't do that.

It's a mega headache for the whole family.

Dad's actually real sad about leaving too, after all.

That was good!

Thanks a bunch.